Eric Leon, Leeroy Dugasse and Marcus Fanchette convicted for money-laundering |08 February 2023
On January 31, 2023, Judge Mohan Burhan delivered the sentence in a money-laundering case involving Eric Leon of Ma Joie, Leeroy Dugasse and Marcus Fanchette both from Pointe Larue.
A sentence of four years imprisonment and a sum of R370,000 in fine were imposed on Leon. As for Dugasse, he was sentenced to three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and a fine of R10,000.00. Lastly, Fanchette was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment suspended for three years. A fine of R10,000 was also imposed on Fanchette. He has been given until May 2023 to pay the said fine.
The sentences were delivered after all three accused persons pleaded guilty.
This money-Laundering case was brought to the Supreme Court in July 2021 by the Financial Crime Investigation Unit of the Seychelles Police Force (FCIU) after successful completion of necessary financial investigation which led to the arrest of Leon, Dugasse and Fanchette.
The unit reported that through its investigation, it found that substantial sums of cash was being transferred and removed from Seychelles to Iran via Dubai.
Leon was charged with 36 counts of money-laundering altogether. As part of their investigation, the FCIU found that Leon had laundered and effectively removed a total sum of US $56,500 (approximately R800,000) from the Republic of Seychelles from May 2020 to February 2021, sum of which he had knowledge of and believed was the benefit of criminal conduct. Part of the sum was a total of US $2618.72 (approximately R38,000) which Fanchette transferred and removed at the request of Leon.
Additionally, Leon was also charged with conspiracy with Dugasse to launder the sum of US $7500 (approximately (R100,000.00) sum of which they had knowledge of or believed was the benefit of criminal conduct.
Dugasse, on the other hand, was charged with two counts, one for money-laundering in the sum of US $1332.13 (approximately R18,000) and a count of conspiracy to commit money-laundering in the sum of US $7500 with Leon.
In passing the sentence, Judge Burhan stated that money laundering is a serious financial crime. He went further to state that such a crime has serious detrimental effect on a society as it makes every criminal activity a legal one.
He stated that the courts should in such instances impose sentences that would in turn deter such criminal activity.
Communique from the police department